Abstract
Abstract: The first phase of the Protestant Reformation seemed to open the door to unrestricted freedom and diversity in biblical interpretation. A number of strategies were developed to limit the range of interpretative options, including an appeal to the consensus of the early Church. This paper explores the critical role of John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion in stabilizing Protestant biblical interpretation. Calvin developed a hermeneutical tool that offered a secure, defended way of interpreting the Bible, allowing a considerable degree of theological consensus to emerge within Reformed ecclesial communities. This paper contextualizes Calvin's approach, and notes some important applications, including the interpretation of biblical texts of importance to the dialogue between science and religion. Finally, some criticisms of Calvin's approach are noted, including the view that Calvin's clarity of biblical interpretation arose partly from his reading some of his insights into the text, rather than discerning them within it.
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